Overton edges out brother to replace Anderson

JAMIE Overton will make his England debut in the Headingley Test against New Zealand after edging out twin brother Craig as a replacement for the injured James Anderson.

Record wicket-taker Anderson, 39, has been withdrawn after feeling pain in his ankle following back-to-back appearances at Lord’s and Trent Bridge.

Jamie Overton has had to wait his turn to follow his identical sibling into full international cricket, with Craig winning eight Test caps and four in one-day internationals, but he has finally edged ahead after earning his maiden call-up to the squad this week.

The Surrey quick is the younger twin by a matter of three minutes but boasts a different style to Craig’s reliable line and length, favouring a more explosive, speedorientated method that could help England fill the void left by long-term absentees Mark Wood, Jofra Archer and Olly Stone.

Captain Ben Stokes named the team during his pre-match media round, ending concerns over his own fitness. The all-rounder missed training due to illness on Tuesday, but a pair of negative Covid tests, followed by a full net session was enough to dispel any concerns over his participation.

“Unfortunately Jimmy’s not pulled up as well as we would have liked him to, so Jamie Overton’s going to make his debut this week,” Stokes said.

“It’s unfortunate for Jimmy, but we’ve got a massive Test against India coming up as well. I’m not too sure how serious it is to be honest. He’s just got a bit of a puffy ankle. Jamie’s been very impressive in the way that he’s bowled, we always want a point of difference in our side, bowling with serious pace and changing games as well.”